Railroad-crossing.



Patented Mar. 257 i902. W. R. MACKLIND.

HAILRUAU CROSSING.

(Application filed Aug. 10, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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VVlLLIAM R. MACKLIND, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAILRDADCROSSING.

SPEGEFIQATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,376, dated March 25, 1902.

Application fled August l0, 1901. Serial No. 71,566. (No model.)

To all whom, may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM R. MACKLIND, a citizen of the United States, residingat St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a top plan View, one of the wearing-surface sections being removed. Fig. 2 is an elevation, chieiy in section, on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, both wearing-surface sections being illustrated in position. Fig. 3 is an end elevation; and Fig. l is a sectional elevation on the line 4 e of Fig. l, the wearing-surface section being shown in position.

My invention relates to improvements in 1ailroad-crossings, my objects being to provide a crossing so constructed that all jolting and jarring of the car are avoided, that there is presented a renewable wearing-surface securely held to the base, and that the members forming the crossing are securely held in position.

' To these ends and also to improve generally upon constructions of the nature indicated my invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, A A represent the base crossing-sections, and B B the renewable wearing-surface sections, there being provided two of each of said sections and the members of each respective sections being interchangeable. Each base-section comprises a main rail-section a, extendingbetween the lines of the usual trackrails and having longitudinal extensions a at its ends, adapted to register with the usual track-rails, there being also provided angular extensions a2 and a3, the former projecting away from and the latter projecting toward the central line of the crossing and said. eX- tensions a3 being one-half the length of the space between the crossing rails. The heads a4 of the base-sections are provided in their upper surfaces with grooves a5, in which the wearing-surfaces B are secured. Each wearing-surface section B has sections l), Z1', Z22, and b3, corresponding with the respective scctions of the base-sections. The crossing is therefore composed of four sections, which are generally similar in plan, the two base-sections combining to form the complete base and the two Wearing-surface sections combining to complete the corresponding wearing-surface for said base. I prefer, however, to so assemble the before-mentioned parts that the joints between the base-sections shall be upon the sides of the crossing other than those upon which the wearing-surface joints occur. Thus the joints between the base-sections occuri-ing at diametrically opposite points upon one track the wearing-surface sections will be so placed that their joints occur at di ametrically opposite points of the transverse track, and the said wearing-surface sections being secured in the grooves formed in the basesections the entire crossing is thusI by its own parts securely locked together and held against spreading or twisting.

Manifestly the wearing-surfaces can be fastened upon the base in many ways; but I prefer for this purpose to employ headed bolts h4, extending from top to bottom through the assembled wearing surface and projecting base-head, nuts b5 being applied to the portions of said bolts below the said base-head. This construction results in iirmly clamping the wearing-plates in position in such manner that the passage of cars does not tend to jar the bolt loose, an evil which must follow in those constructions in which the bolt eX- tends horizontally through the webs of the base and wearing-plate and must, therefore,

initially have some slight play in the boltl holes. Furthermore, as will be more fully hereinafter explained, the bolt-heads b4 are placed in the portions of the wearing-surface which are not engaged by the car-wheels, and said heads are thus saved from wear.

Each wearing-surface has at its outer portion-72. e., its portion farthest removed from the center of the crossing-a tread l, which corresponds generally with the tread of the track, while just inside of said tread is a groove 2, correspcndin g with the usual trackgroove. A guard-rail 3 is formed upon the wearing-surface at the inner side of the groove for a wellknown purpose. At the outer points of the crossing-4. e., the points adjacent the usual track ends-the treads 1 are -but at a point considerably removed-say.-

of the height of the treadsof tl1e.tracl .rail;

about two feet-+from the intersection of the crossing rails each tread l commences to 1noline gradually.downward and toward the central line ofthe crossing. At a point in advance of the beforementioned intersection the tread has decreased in height to merely the height ofthe wheel-flange; but said tread continues to decrease in height until it is of less height than said wheel-flange and only suflieiently high to preserve the groove 2, the' upper face'of the wearing-surface being substantially horizontal, but of less height than that of the wheel-flange, entirely across the space between the crossingrails. The crossling isthus grooved for its entire Width; butV between the crossing rails and for a distanceA f ride upon the bottoms of said grooves 2, the

wheel-treads then moving entirely across the crossing above and out of contact with the treads of the wearing-surfaces, (which combine with the base-sections A to form, in effect, rails,) and when the wheels have reached the opposite side of the crossing the wheeltreads gradually ride upon the upwardly-im clining treads of the Wearing-surfaces, and thus carry the wheel-fiangcs into normal position above and out of contact with the bottoms of the grooves 2. Furthermore, during the passage of a wheel across the crossing it is guided by the groove 2, so that all jarring or jolting heretofore due to sudden vertical inequalities in the tracks at the rail intersections or to lateral displacement ot' the wheels at such intersections are rendered impossible. The before-mentionedbolt-heads b4are placed in the portion of the wearing-surface tread which is not engaged by the wheel-tread-z'- e., in the before-described lower wearing-surface tread portion-whereby said bolt-heads are saved from wear.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of' my invention can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a railroad-crossing or the like, basesections, each having a main rail-section and an angular section extending toward the central line of the crossing, and a wearing-surface section having a main section extending across the said angular sections of said basesections and angular sections in line with the said mainrail-sections of said base-sections, therebeinglocking engagement between said main rail-sections of the base and said angular sections of said wearing-surface, whereby said wearing-surface section serves toflock 'Y gagement between said main sections-ofvsaid wearing-surface-and said angularsections of,l

saidv base, whereby said base-section serves to'lock said wearing-surface sections against displacement; substantially as described.

3. In a-railroad-crossing or the like, complementary base-sections each having a main rail-section and angular sections extending toward the central line of the crossing, the joints between said 'base-sections being upon opposite sides of the crossing, and complemen tary wearing-surface sections tting upon said base, each wearing-surface section having a main section and angular sections extending toward the central line of the crossing, the joints between said wearing-surface sections being upon sides of the crossing other than those upon which occur the joints between said base-sectons, there being locking engagement between the said wearing-sur-- face sections and basesections upon all four sides of the crossing, whereby said several sections serve to lock each other against displacement; substantially as described.

4. In a railroad-crossing or the like, basesections each having a main rail-section and an angular section extending toward the cen'- tral line of the crossing, and a wearing-surface section having a main section extending across the said angular sections of said basesections and angular sections in line with the said main rail-sections of said base-sections, there being groove connection between said main rail-sections of the base and said angular sections of said wearing-surface,and means for securing said main section of the wearingsurface againstlateral displacement upon said angular sections of said base; substantially IOO IIO

upon sides of the crossing other than those upon which occur the joints between said base-sections; substantially as described.

6. The combination with a rail-base, of a separate wearing-surface upon said base, and a bolt extending from top to bottom through suitable portions of said base and wearingsurface and securing said parts together, the head of said bolt lying in the tread of said wearing-surface and in aportion thereof not engaged by the wheels; substantially as described.

7. In a railroad-crossing or the like, a wearing-surface having a tread portion and a wheel-guard, a groove for the wheel-flange being formed between said tread and wheelgnard, said tread extending entirely across the crossing but between points outside of the rail intersections being reduced to a height less than that of the wheel-fiange and said lower tread portion being connected to the normal tread portions by gradual inclines; substantially as described.

S. In a railroad-crossing or the like, abase, a separate wearing-surface upon said base, said wearing-surface having grooves extending across the rail intersections, the wearingsnrface tread between points outside of said intersections being of less height than the iange of the wheel designed to run upon said tracks and said lower tread portions being connected to the normal tread portions by gradual inclines, and bolts connecting said base and wearing-surface and extending from top to bottom through the same, the boltheads lying in the before mentioned lower tread portion, whereby they are not engaged by passing wheels; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, 40

this 8th day of August, 1901.

WILLIAM R. MAOKLIND.

Witnesses:

GEORGE "BAKEWELL, GALEs P. MOORE. 

